Odysseus a Great Hero Odysseus, was he a hero, or was he a villain? Did he show that he could be brave, or did he act like a coward? Was he wise, or was he foolish? Did he help his family in every way he could? Odysseus was a leader who fought in the battle of Troy. He had to leave his family and friends, and voyage for 10 years with many great trials in his way. Even though this was hard for Odysseus, he fought his way through it, and made it back to his family. Odysseus used his intelligence and bravery, to come home to his family. Odysseus was Intelligent. While encountering Cyclops, Odysseus had to be wise in what he and his crew members did. When the Cyclops started eating his crew, Odysseus knew that he had to stop this monster. His …show more content…
One experience where Odysseus had to be brave, is when he encounters Scylla, a six headed monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool that swallows up the sea and anything that passes by. As Odysseus and his men make their way through the whirl pool, the waters start to whirl and they started to get sucked in. Odysseus encourages his men to keep rowing, as they venture through. “Friends have we never been in danger before this? More fearsome is it now, than when the Cyclops penned us in his cave? What power he had! Did I not keep my nerve and use my wits to find a way out for us (603-608)?” Right after making it through the whirlpool, they saw the thing they dreaded the most. Heading toward them in the sky was Scylla. Swift as hawk the brutal beast sweeps down by the boat of Odysseus and takes 6 of his men, one for each head,eat them. This must have been been a tremendous to experience.” She ate them they shrieked there, in her den, in the dire grapple, reaching for me- and deathly pity ran me through at that sight- far the worst I ever suffered questing the passes of the strange sea. We rowed on. The Rocks were now behind; Charybdis, too, and Scylla dropped astern... …show more content…
After Odysseus had been gone for 20 years, Penelope his wife, and Telemachus his son continued to have hope that he would one day come. Since Odysseus had not been in Ithaca for a while, many suitors were eager to marry Penelope. But Penelope still had hope that her husband would come back. Meanwhile, Odysseus comes back and sees his son Telemachus first. Telemachus is filled with emotions and doesn't believe that this man he is talking to is his father. Somehow, Odysseus gets it through his son and the two of them are filled with emotions. “Then, throwing his arms around this marvel of a father telemachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men, and cries burst from both as keen and fluttering as those of the great taloned hawk,whose nestlings farmers take before they fly. So helplessly they cried, pouring out tears, and might have gone on weeping so till sundown (897-905).” Now that Odysseus had his son, he tried to think of a way that he could get his wife back, and get rid of the suitors. Athena came down and turned Odysseus into an old beggar man. Meanwhile, Penelope knows that it is time for her to let one of the suitors have her. Her hope for Odysseus return is very little. She made a challenge for the suitor who wanted to be hers. The challenge was whoever could string the bow of Odysseus and shoot an arrow through a row of twelve az handle sockets, then
Odysseus has all the qualities made to be a true hero. Not only did Odysseus fight on behalf of the Greeks in Troy (Trojan War), but everything he went through he learned a valuable lesson at the end; Odysseus endured so much during his journey going back to Ithaca but he never gave up on any of his principles. He also had good escape strategies, and he risked his life to save others. Imagine you being on the same journey Odysseus went through, do you honestly believe you would have survived? He made some minor mistakes along the way but nobody’s perfect. That’s why Odysseus is a hero because, he’s strong, and intelligent and was able to get out of sticky situations.
“Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given,” (1.32-34) is a simple quote reminding us the entities in charge of all characters in the poem The Odyssey – the gods. Hubris, or excessive human pride, is most detested by the gods and likewise is most punishable by them. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and Telemachus, two heroes who throughout their adventures meet new people and face death many times. Telemachus goes to find his father after he learns from Athena that he is still alive. The two meet, and Odysseus attempts to go back to Ithaca after he was lost at sea, and on his way there becomes one of the most heroic characters in literature as we know it. Like all heroic characters, Odysseus began to display hubris as he learned how true of a hero he was. James Wyatt Cook, a historian and an expert on The Odyssey, wrote about how hubris can affect the characters that display it. He says, “Because Homer’s Odyssey is essentially comic, that episode [opened wind bag destroys ship] is only one of a series of setbacks Odysseus experiences before reaching his home in Ithaca and recovering his former kingdom and his family. Such, however, is not the case for those who display hubris with tragic outcomes.” (Cook 1) Initially, Odysseus learns about Aias who died as a cause of the excessive pride he portrays. Proteus warns Odysseus when he says, “…and Aias would have escaped doom, though Athena hated him, had he not gone widely mad and tossed outa word of defiance; for he said that in despite of the gods he escaped the great gulf of the sea, and Poseidon heard him…...
Have you ever thought, are modern day heroes similar to odysseus? Some modern day heroes are similar to odysseus and some are not similar. A modern hero like Iron Man is very smart and protects his men just like odysseus. A modern hero like the Hulk he is not similar just because he doesn’t think before he does. Iron Man is similar to odysseus.
For a character to be an epic hero, he must possess four characteristics. These four characteristics include the following: (1) he must be high born, (2) the hero must have human weaknesses, (3) he must be brave,and 4) he must be clever. In The Odyssey, Homer’s character Odysseus was an epic hero because he possessed all four of the characteristics.
In conclusion, Odysseus deserves the title of a hero because he shows bravery, displays a change in character, and has the Gods supporting him throughout his journey home. Odysseus has the courage to overcome physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. While Odysseus he is on the hero’s journey, he vastly improves his character. He changes from arrogant to humble, and learns leadership qualities, and most importantly, his place in the world. Odysseus has the revelation that the gods are above him, and are in control. Because he realizes the supremacy of the gods, his reward is assistance from the gods themselves. Odysseus is not a perfect man, and is flawed, just like every other human. However, heroes are not gods.
As mentioned before Odysseus’ flaws lead him to his misfortune. Throughout The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a very intelligent and clever man, and because he is intellectual, he is constantly curious of how things work and act so that he may learn. He is also curious because he wants to have experiences no other man can have, which in a way is also tied to his hubris. Moreover, his curiosity is a flaw because he allows it to jeopardize his own safety. This was most evident in book 12 that tells of the ordeal with the Sirens. He and his men were instructed to sail through and plug their ears so that they could not hear the songs of the Sirens because of how seductive they were. As they sail through Odysseus makes his men all plug their ears and bind him to the ship so that he can be the only one to listen to the songs of the Sirens. As he listens to the Sirens, he goes through immense pain because of how firmly he is tied up and because of his desire to jump overboard to be with them (Odyssey). This example show how Odysseus is willing to pay the price for knowledge. In addition, it shows that his curiosity causes him to be his own enemy, in that he is willing to go through hardship and strife to simply experience the
Another reason Odysseus was brave is because he faced the cyclops head on without hesitation. He then stabbed the cyclops in the eye. And the belly of the cyclops was full on man
The definition of a hero is unique for every individual; however there are several regulations that majority of individuals can agree on. A hero must exhibit traits such as humility, kindness, and courage. Once the candidate expresses hubris, displays cruelty, or retreats from a formidable challenge, he cannot be considered a hero. Lastly, a hero candidate must overcome challenges that defy the odds. He must deliver a gift to society that benefits society as a whole; such gifts can be freedom, liberty, or hope. Odysseus in The Odyssey, by Homer, fulfilled these requirements and rightfully earned the title of a hero. Odysseus is well deserving of the title hero because he has put the needs of others before his own, shown signs of courage in the face of adversity, and displays humility by ridding himself of his hubris.
Odysseus, during his long journey, exhibited many heroic qualities including bravery, strength, and determination. He was determined to return to his family after hs journey, and he bravely fought to stay alive during the cyclope situation, as well as other situations, and showed strength by being able to battle the cyclopes in self-defense. However, Odysseus was also obnoxiously arrogant about his victory and was actually very selfish throughout his entire story; he almost did not leave his town to help with the war because he did not want to leave to protect his family. Although Odysseus exemplified heroic qualities, this does not make him a true hero.
Odysseus doesn’t only show cleverness, but also him and I also show great bravery to others. When Odysseus and his men go into the Cyclops's cave, Odysseus has to be brave and think of a way for him and his remaining men to escape from the Cyclops’s cave, “Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now” (906). Odysseus is telling his men a strategy to escape from the Cyclopes for them to be able to survive from the Cyclopes eating anymore of the men, a way I have showed bravery was when I had to conquer my fear of heights on a rollercoaster last spring, but I stuck through it just like Odysseus had to stick to his plan for
Odysseus is a heroic man, he is the reason many people are still alive. He is constantly fighting with cleverness, heroism and, bravery. This will help him to succeed in his journey home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys. After comprehending what true heroism is and following it only then will they become heroes even though each of them has different traits. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus gains the title of hero during his journey back to Ithaka, from Troy, by proving to be one. It is through his characteristics and experiences that he becomes the well developed man at the end of the book. In truth, because of his confidence, loyalty, and difficult struggles, Odysseus becomes a genuine hero to the people he defended.
To begin, one feature that makes Odysseus and epic hero is his intelligence. In order for him to have survived through his journey, he has to have a massive amount of intellect. To have survived a Cyclops is an accomplishment of its own. His ability to think on his feet and to plan situations and ability to make a right decision in horrid environments has helped him survive throughout his disastrous journey. When he is trapped by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, he has to carve, smooth, and sharpen a gigantic spear-shaped-pole out of a large tree that he and his strongest men would then use it on the Cyclops to blind it. In order to follow through with his plan, Odysseus has to sedate him. He gives Polyphemus an extremely strong wine, in which Polyphemus asks him his name. Odysseus replies: “My name is Nohbdy; mother, father, friends, everyone call me Nohbdy”(9.274-9.275) When the Cyclops passes out, Odysseus and four of his strongest men stab Polyphemus in his eye with the sharpened pole that he and his men ...
Impulsive actions prove to be very harmful to Odysseus. His decisions when he is escaping the cave of the Cyclops lead to almost all his troubles through his journey. As Odysseus flees the cave, he yells back "Cyclops - if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so - say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out you eye." This enrages the giant, and he prays to Poseidon "grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca, never reaches home. Or if he's fated to see his people once again, let him come home late and come a broken man - all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger's ship - and let him find a world of pain at home!" In the end, all these things the Cyclops asks come to pass. Odysseus also makes the mistake of ignoring Circe's command. Circe had said to forgo putting on fighting gear, or the monster Scylla will cause his crew harm. "But now I cleared my mind of Circe's orders - cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all. I donned my heroic armor, seized long spears in both my hands and marched out on the half-deck." Because he ignores those orders given by Circe, the six headed monster Scylla snatches six of the crewmembers and eats them alive.
In conclusion, Odysseus displays the good and heroic characteristics of cleverness, bravery and strength throughout his actions in response to the challenges he faced in The Odyssey. Like any great heroes in literature, Odysseus does have some character flaws, such as pride and violence. But his good characteristics makes him a hero to root for and agree with, despite any flaws that he has.